International Journal of Language and Literary Studies

Sociolinguistic Etymologies of Ewe Names Denoting the Relationship with Man and Animals

Isaac Horsu — 2025-09-01

This work looks at the human-animal relation displayed in Ewe personal names in Ghana, Togo, and Benin by studying sociolinguistics and etymology. Using cultural and socio semiotic theories, the study adopted the qualitative method. This research reviews twenty animal-related Ewe names to find the cultural, symbolic, and spiritual reasons for their use. The study reveals that these names relate closely to shared memory and views, acting as markers of identity, values, and knowledge passed down through generations. Ewe animal-based names show totemic links, ecological awareness, moral lessons, and expectations. As such, they act as a linguistic link connecting language, environment, beliefs, and social structure. This study adds to African onomastics by showing how naming practices hold native ways of knowing and keep cultural heritage alive.

The Impact of Kahoot on English Vocabulary Acquisition: A Study of Moroccan High School Students

Abdessamad Boudinar — 2025-09-01

In an era where digital engagement shapes modern education, integrating gamification into language learning has emerged as a powerful tool to enhance student engagement and learning outcomes. This study investigates the impact of Kahoot, a platform for learning through games, on the English language vocabulary acquisition of Moroccan high school students. A quasi-experimental design with 80 students (40 per group) was used. Students sat for vocabulary pre- and post-tests (15 points per test), and the data were processed using descriptive and inferential statistics. The findings revealed that Kahoot significantly improved vocabulary acquisition among students in the experimental group compared to traditional teaching methods. This study highlights the instructional value of gamification tools like Kahoot in vocabulary instruction and provides pedagogical implications and suggestions for integrating digitally gamified tools in the language classroom.

Persuasion Through Semiotics: A Multimodal Analysis of Beverage Advertisements in Ghana

MICHAEL KWAME APPIAH — 2025-09-01

This study explores the semiotic resources and embedded ideologies in billboard advertisements for beverages in Ghana, using a multimodal approach to understand how meaning is constructed and communicated. Although previous research in Ghana has primarily focused on linguistic elements, this study fills a gap by analysing a range of semiotic resources such as images, gestures, colours, symbols, typography, and text. Using Kress and Van Leeuwen's Visual Grammar Theory, the analysis of 20 advertisements from six Ghanaian beverage brands revealed key findings. The study found that semiotic resources like celebrity images, logos, and product visuals were strategically employed to establish brand identity and appeal. Gestures conveyed product advantages or participant emotions, while symbols (e.g., logos and world maps) reinforced brand image. Colour emerged as a powerful communicative mode, serving not only to capture attention but also to reinforce brand recognition and evoke culturally resonant meanings. Distinct brand colours—such as Coca-Cola's red and Guinness's black—were strategically used to strengthen identity and aid recall. Moreover, colours like yellow and green conveyed symbolic associations: yellow suggested energy and happiness, while green implied freshness and calm, aligning effectively with consumer aspirations and lifestyle preferences. These findings underscore how Ghanaian advertisers blend visual and textual elements to effectively persuade consumers, highlighting the role of cultural context in shaping advertising strategies.

Conveying Conciseness in the Translation of Quranic Qa?a? (Stories): S?rah Y?suf as a Case Study

taoufiq bouamrane — 2025-09-01

Abstract

This paper explores the challenges of translating the rhetorical device of conciseness in Quranic narratives (Qa?a?). The inimitability of the Qur’an is particularly evident through its linguistic and rhetorical features, especially its capacity to convey extensive meanings with remarkable brevity. This study aims to highlight the difficulties faced by translators and underscores the strategies employed to preserve conciseness while maintaining essential semantic and rhetorical nuances. A qualitative, descriptive, and analytical approach is used to examine select verses from S?rah Y?suf (Q:12), focusing on the impact of conciseness, both with and without ellipsis, on their English translations. By comparing various translated Quranic verses to the source text and drawing upon exegesis to ensure the preservation of intended meaning, the research reveals that deviations from the original concise structures can result in a loss of semantic and rhetorical depth, ultimately diminishing the eloquence of the Quranic text. The study contributes to the existing body of knowledge in Quran translation studies, offering insights into the best approaches and strategies for translating the rhetorical device of conciseness in the Qur’an.

The Impact of Cultural Schemata on EFL Reading Comprehension: The Case of First-Year Moroccan University Students

Brahim EL KOUAR — 2025-09-01

The prime objective of the study was to investigate the effects of background knowledge on reading comprehension among Moroccan EFL learners at the tertiary level. The hypothesis tested was that the experimental group would perform better than the control group on the grounds of providing cultural background knowledge prior to reading. To meet this objective, the study made use of two types of instruments: a test comprising structured test items and a post-reading feedback questionnaire. A cohort of sixty-eight university students took part in the study. The participants were divided into two groups: the control group and the experimental group. The study adopts a mixed-method experimental design to triangulate data on both the effect of background knowledge and students’ perceptions of the intervention on EFL learners' reading comprehension. The results show that the experimental group performed better than the control group on the basis of providing cultural background knowledge. The major pedagogical implication of the study is that pre-reading activities, in general, and providing background knowledge, in particular, are useful instructional tools for teachers in the EFL context to facilitate students' reading comprehension at the tertiary level.

Beyond National Narratives: A Relational Method for Diasporic Literatures Grounded in Francophone Canada

Laurent Poliquin — 2025-09-01

This article asks how to read African diasporic writing in French in Canada without forcing it into national boxes. It reframes the old idea that “one people, one territory, one language” should define literature as a habit that can hide what texts actually do on the page. I propose a simple toolkit of six questions to guide analysis: How does the text create contact across difference? How does the city shape scenes and pace? How do past, present, and hoped-for futures overlap? To whom does the voice speak, and how does it hold more than one audience? How do spoken forms like a proverb or a chant become a written rhythm? How do civic and religious worlds share a scene? Three readings model the approach: Didier Leclair writes the migratory city through thresholds, transit, and offices; Monia Mazigh builds ethical address across civic and faith publics; Guy Armel Bayegnak turns cadence, meaningful objects, and mixed codes into structure. A synthesis shows translation on the page working as a method, and “public-making” as a measure of literary form in minor settings. The article offers a clear, portable way to name how texts build relations beyond national narratives. Although grounded in francophone Canada, the method is designed to travel and can inform the analysis of diasporic and minor literatures worldwide.

Gender and the Pragmatics of Refusal: A Study of Moroccan University Learners of English

Abdelaziz EL HAMMOUCHI — 2025-09-01

This study investigates the use of refusal strategies within the framework of pragmatics and politeness theory, with a specific focus on gender-based patterns among Moroccan university learners of English. The research explores whether male and female participants employ refusal strategies similarly across various situations. Using a Discourse Completion Task (DCT) questionnaire, data were collected and analysed quantitatively to identify the frequency and types of refusal strategies used. The findings reveal that male and female participants generally follow comparable patterns in their use of refusal strategies, with only minor differences observed in a single situation. These results contribute to the understanding of gender and pragmatic competence, offering insights into how politeness and social norms shape refusal behaviour in a second language context.

Investigating Google Translation App Reliance on Enhancing EFL Learners’ Language Proficiency

Ali Ahmed Suleimana — 2025-09-01

This study focuses on the impact of Google Translate (GTA) on EFL learners' language proficiency, specifically its advantages and disadvantages. The survey data and literature review revealed that while many learners are frequent users of GTA, particularly for vocabulary (median=4.0) and pronunciation (median=4.0), the correlations to improvement were substantial for vocabulary (?=0.72) and pronunciation (?=0.68). However, the correlations for writing (?=0.28) and comprehension (?=0.45) were weaker, suggesting limited contributions to the more complex skills of writing and comprehension. These findings also suggest that GTA may contribute to immediate improvement in vocabulary and pronunciation, but in terms of complex skills, the direct relationship between GTAs and improvement will be influenced by other contextual factors in EFL learning situations. This study emphasizes the immediate contributions to vocabulary and pronunciation while also highlighting the complexities and subtleties of incorporating GTA into language teaching and learning.

Deciphering Patterns of Scammed Messages Using SFL’s Interpersonal and Experiential Metafunctions

ELEN PABLO — 2025-09-01

This study explores the linguistic patterns employed in online scam communications by investigating the conversation between a scammer and their target through the lens of Systemic Functional Linguistics. The objectives of the study were: 1) to determine the function of the transitivity processes and participant involvement in conveying intended messages 2) analyze mood choices to understand interaction dynamics and role construction. This exploration adopted the qualitative approach focusing on transitivity processes and mood choices. The findings reveal that scammers manipulate conversations through strategic use of transitivity processes, employing material and relational processes to assert dominance and position the target as submissive and compliant; they strengthen power dynamics through mood choices, mainly using declarative moods to establish authority while the target’s interrogative moods emphasize their subordinate role. The study recommends that interdisciplinary approaches that investigates the psychological impact of linguistic manipulation on targets be conducted to prevent scam effectively.

Attitudes Toward Translanguaging of English Teachers in a Private College in Lucena

Fritz Humphrey Diaz — 2025-09-01

In today's multilingual classrooms, English teachers face increasing challenges in meeting the diverse linguistic needs of their students. This study examined the attitudes of English teachers toward translanguaging as a pedagogical approach in a private college in Lucena, Philippines. Drawing on Fang and Liu's (2020) framework, the study focused on teachers’ attitudes toward content-oriented, student-oriented, and classroom-oriented purposes. A qualitative case study design was employed to collect data from three English teachers through a focused group discussion, which was then categorized thematically. Findings revealed that English teachers generally held positive attitudes toward translanguaging as a pedagogical approach. Additionally, English teachers acknowledged its importance in promoting inclusive and comprehensible instruction, as well as student-centered learning, which supports classroom dynamics. Moreover, English teachers emphasized its value in accommodating linguistic diversity and increasing learner engagement. However, teachers also identified specific challenges, such as assessment constraints and cognitive demands. Overall, these findings highlight the potential of translanguaging in English language classrooms, particularly in bilingual and multilingual contexts in the Philippines.